Digital Stewardship Graduate Research Assistant
Positions Available: 1
Position Title: Digital Stewardship Graduate Research Assistant
Department: Discovery and Access-Digital Stewardship, UT Libraries
Supervisor: David Bliss
UT Libraries’ Digital Stewardship unit provides specialized scanning of collection materials for all UTL branches, and maintains a secure tape archive of all digitized and born-digital UTL collections that pass through the unit. The Digitization and Digital Preservation GRA will contribute to a range of digitization, digital asset management, and digital preservation tasks in the Digital Stewardship unit. This is a developmental position: the GRA will have the opportunity to work with digital collections at every step of the information lifecycle, and will work with their supervisor to identify digital archival skills and knowledge they wish to develop. In addition to the core duties of the position, the GRA and their supervisor will set a work plan that builds these skills over the course of the appointment.
The University of Texas Libraries welcomes and respects all individuals and communities by valuing and consciously maintaining awareness of diverse perspectives and experiences. We believe inclusivity is critical to fostering excellence in all our endeavors, and we promote diversity in our collections and services, as well as in our recruiting, hiring, and retention practices.
Position is subject to renewal each semester.
Work Schedule: 20 hours scheduled Monday through Friday, 7:30-4:30, to be arranged with supervisor
Duties: Scan rare books and special collections material according to UT Libraries specifications. Process scanned materials and assist with digital processing of materials donated to the Benson Latin American Collection by post-custodial partner organizations. Perform accessioning and forensics for born-digital Libraries collections. Perform digital preservation tasks, including extracting technical metadata, bagging, and preparing files for long-term preservation. Work with collections managers across the Libraries to restore collections from the tape archive and ingest them into the UT Libraries Digital Asset Management System (DAMS). Contribute to Digital Stewardship recordkeeping, documentation, and policy drafting.
Required Qualifications: A current graduate student in the School of Information, enrolled for at least 9 semester hours during the spring semester. Student must be in good academic standing. Self-motivation and intellectual curiosity. An interest in learning and applying new technical skills. Close attention to detail and critical thinking skills. An interest in working with digital archives/special collections, particularly in the area of digital preservation.
Preferred Qualifications: Experience working in or with archives (traditional or digital), and/or knowledge of archival theory. Strong computer literacy skills. Interest in or experience with command-line processing, Python, or other scripting methods. Interest in or experience with photography, scanning, or audiovisual reformatting. Strong written communication skills, particularly in communicating complex technical matters to non-specialist audiences. Spanish or Portuguese reading proficiency.
Research indicates that applicants with marginalized identities are hesitant to apply for positions if they do not meet all the required and preferred qualifications. We want to emphasize that although experience in certain areas is desirable, candidates who meet the required qualifications and demonstrate excellent promise are encouraged to apply and will be given serious consideration, especially those who are underrepresented in this field.
Working Conditions: Regular indoor working conditions.
Rate of Pay: $1063 per month. Exemption from non-resident tuition. Benefits eligible. TRB is not available for this position.
Applicant Instructions: Applicants should apply with a letter of interest, resume, and contact information for three references to:
David Bliss
Systems and Digital Archivist
University of Texas Libraries
The University of Texas at Austin
Email: d.bliss@austin.utexas.edu
A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.
Equal Opportunity Employer: The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.